Magnetic resonance imaging is a method of imaging that magnetically excites nuclear spins of a subject placed in a static magnetic field with a radio frequency (RF) pulse of a Larmor frequency thereof and generates an image from magnetic resonance signals generated along with the excitation.
Echo planar imaging (EPI) is one of the methods of imaging by the magnetic resonance imaging. EPI is a method of high-speed imaging that, after applying an excitation pulse, applies at high speed and continuously a readout gradient magnetic field, while inverting polarity, thereby continuously generating multiple echo signals. It is known that EPI generates N/2 artifacts caused by the non-uniformity of a static magnetic field or the like, and techniques for reducing the N/2 artifacts have been developed.